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Govt moves against teleshopping, other ads that violate ASCI code

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued an Advisory to TV channels to stop the broadcast of teleshopping ads that violate the ASCI code and provisions under Drug & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954

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Govt moves against teleshopping, other ads that violate ASCI code

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued an Advisory to TV channels to stop the broadcast of teleshopping ads that violate the ASCI code and provisions under Drug & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | August 25, 2014

asci-logoThe Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has ordered broadcasters not to air advertisements that are found to be in violation of the Advertising Standards Council of India's (ASCI) code, and not complying with the decision of its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC).

While deliberating on the complaints received by ASCI, the CCC observed that many of the teleshopping advertisements made unsubstantiated claims and violated the provisions of code for self-regulation, as well as provisions under Drug & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. MIB has, in its Advisory, compiled a list of these ads and asked broadcasters not to carry them in their respective channels and to ensure strict compliance of the advertising code in the Cable Television Networks Act (CTN).

The advisory sent by MIB states that non-compliance of ASCI's code of self-regulation is a violation of rule 7 (9) of the Advertising Code, contained in the CTN Rules. The CTN code and rules state that 'no advertisement which violates the code of self-regulation in advertising, as adopted by ASCI for public exhibition in India, from time to time, shall be carried in the cable service'. Therefore, ASCI's decisions are not just bound for compliance by advertisers, but also by television channels.

Partha Rakshit Partha Rakshit

Partha Rakshit, Chairman, ASCI, said, “This is another feather in the cap of ASCI in its efforts to make advertising more responsible. We found that some advertisers on TV channels, especially Teleshopping Networks, were not complying with ASCI's decisions. We submitted the list to the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the MIB for their consideration. Based on that, IMC observed that any violation of ASCI code also violates the Advertising Code enshrined in the CTN Act and its rules. In short, IMC has directed that advertisements found to violate the ASCI code cannot be carried on TV channels.”

Some of the products in MIB's Advisory list which violate the ASCI code, in terms of their advertising and in terms of advertisers not complying with the ASCI's decision to uphold the complaint, are: Fairpro (Telemart Shoppi Network), Ayurvedic Roopamri Fairness Cream (WWS Skyshop), Celebrity Lift (R.T.C.Enterprises), GLO Intense Brightening System (B. Lab), Rashi Ratan Topaz Ring (Quick Telemall Marketing), Maha Dhan Lakshmi Yantram, Musli Power Xtra (Kunnath Pharmaceuticals), Brain  Smart GTM, Bhairavi Sadhana- Devishree Foundation Trust, Shaktivardhan Vaccume Threapy, Sandhi Sudha Oil (Telemart Shopping Network), Madhu Sanjivani (JMD Teleshopping), Addiction Killer (SK Shopping), Easy Slim Tea and Maha Dhan Lakshmi Yantram.

Here is the link to the Advisory issued by MIB: http://mib.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/Advisory_to_

TV_channels_for_Advertisements.pdf

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

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